Burglar Has Westville On Its Toes

About three weeks ago, Kim was baby-sitting at a home on Plant Street when she had an unwanted guest.

At 11 a.m., a stranger rang the doorbell. Scared, Kim said she did not alert him to the fact that she was not home.

The man found an unlocked window in the backyard. He tried to enter the house but ended up leaving before he stole anything. He most likely saw the resident’s dog and took it as a sign that someone was home.

That violated his protocol—of burglarizing unoccupied homes.

Kim told that story at a Westville-West Hills Community Management Team (CMT) meeting Wednesday night at Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School. Sgt. Renee Forte (pictured), Westville’s top cop, used the incident as an opportunity to explain to the 30 or so attendees what has become a common criminal technique in the neighborhood: Ringing a doorbell, waiting to see if anyone is home and then attempting to enter the house through an unlocked home or window.

Kim got lucky, she said; evidence suggests that the burglar may be inactive due to greater neighborhood awareness.

But that’s no reason to be complacent, Forte said. A similar incident also occurred in the same mid-May period around 10 a.m. on Yale Avenue, a man fitting a similar description rang the doorbell to check if anyone was home, then opened a window.

The woman chased him away after alerting a neighbor to come to her aid, but not before the burglar had stolen a pair of keys.

The suspect, who has also been reportedly sighted on Alton Avenue and Curtis Drive, is described as a black male with dark skin around 30 years of age. Forte said he generally rides a silver bike that “seems to be too small for him and is on the expensive side.”

Dispatcher Trouble

Part of what made Kim’s incident so troubling for her, was the time it took for her to make face-to-face contact with an officer. She said it took nearly half an hour for the officer to arrive at her home.

However, according to Forte, that is inaccurate. “He was on the scene immediately,” she said. Forte estimated that it took an officer seven minutes to arrive.

A “miscommunication” did take place, Forte said, most likely because the officer was “rerouted” when “initially, he stopped a person he thought could be the suspect.” The officer called Kim to see if she had any more information on the suspect and that prevented her from going outside.

Forte said officer retirement is another issue. Come June 30, she said, many will leave the force in time to avoid a cut in future pension benefits.

More officers are being recruited, but it will take time for them to hit the streets.

“We want you to be choosy,” quipped Bradley.

“We have a very good union for a very good reason, but it’s very hard to get rid of someone once you have them,” Forte said.

How You Can Help

Forte’s advice? Most of these incidents have happened during the day, “when people are normally at work.” So, Westville neighbors should, especially during the day, “be extra vigilant,” she said.

Forte cited a June 9 incident on Westwood Road as an example of how civilians can unwittingly inhibit a police investigation.

Two masked men attempted a purse-snatch from a woman in a car nearby, managing only to steal her keys. They dropped the keys in flight, leaving behind a cell phone as well, according to onlookers.

Unfortunately for Forte, by the time she arrived at the scene, she said, someone picked up the cell phone. This deprived police of a way to learn more about the suspect’s identity.

She also gave specific instructions, should anyone in the neighborhood find a potential burglar ringing the doorbell: safety first.

“If you are home and this is happening, kind of yell out to the individual as opposed to going downstairs and opening the door,” she said. “I’d rather the resident be safe and not have the individual enter than worry about catching him after.”

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Comments

posted by: Threefifths on June 12, 2014 8:06am

How You Can Help Forte’s advice? Most of these incidents have happened during the day, “when people are normally at work.” So, Westville neighbors should, especially during the day, “be extra vigilant,” she said.

posted by: westville man on June 12, 2014 9:17am

I have lived in Westville for 17 years. Some observations: 1. Many (not all) who live here have a severe case of HUTAS (head up their arse syndrome); they will walk their dog, empty the trash or go to their car right by a suspicious vehicle or person involved in drug dealing or prostitution with no thought at all; 2.An astonishing number leave their car doors unlocked at all times and house windows unlocked while they are out; 3. many do not have car alarms

We have routinely called the police (non-emergency) to have suspicious vehicles and people checked out. We almost weekly “shush” cars away from our home area by making them uncomfortable simply by looking at them and their cars. If they exit their vehicles to go somewhere else on foot, I simply ask if they’re lost or need assistance. They know then they’re being watched.

To help keep the thieves and muggers away, the awareness of the neighborhood has to change. It hasn’t in 17 years, in my view. We have never had a single issue ourselves (knocking on wood) but ALL our neighbors have had multiple issues over the years. I don’t know how you get people to STAY vigilant. They will for a week or so after they’ve been victimized but go back to their old ways after that. Just my take on it, for what it’s worth.

posted by: westville man on June 12, 2014 9:30am

I should have added a #4- lighting and shrubbery: many of our neighbors have little or no lighting for their house or yard. In addition, they have overgrown vegetation that acts as “cover’ for the criminals. When you tell them that, they argue about it.

posted by: Scot on June 13, 2014 11:17am

What is the deal with the shortage of police? I heard on the news last night there is around 85 vacancies in the NHPD, expected to be close to 100 soon. It also said these vacancies have existed for close to a year! Is it really that hard to find people who want to be NH cops? (I realize its a super tough job but I’m still surprised, in this economy and with unemployment where it is). Now the city is paying massive overtime to the existing officers to cover for the vacancies. What the heck is going on?

posted by: Lost in new haven on June 13, 2014 3:13pm

Funny that the areas of the city that pay the most taxes get the least amount of services. Two police officers covering all of Westville is unacceptable. Always seems to be a “communication” issue when the officers don’t show up. My advice to all you Westvillians GET OUT while you can. It’s not going to get any better this summer…have you driven down Whalley ave lately…....